History of Flushing, (Queens County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Nathan Sanford, senator, was born in Bridgehampton, L.I., N.Y., Nov. 5, 1777; son of Thomas Sanford, and a descendant of Robert and Ann (Adams) Sandford. Robert Sandford emigrated from England and settled in Hartford, Conn., in 1645. Nathan Sanford was a student at Yale, but did not graduate; was admitted to the bar in 1799 and practised in New York city. He served as U.S. commissioner in bankruptcy in 1802; as U.S. district attorney, 1803?16; as a member of the state assembly, 1810?11, and speaker in 1811; state senator, 1812?15; Democratic U .S. senator from New York, 1815?21; and delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1821, where he introduced the amendment adopted, abolishing the necessity of property qualification in voters. He succeeded James Kent as chancellor of the state, 1823?25, and served a second term in the U.S. senate, 1825?31, where he advocated a reform of the currency and favored the French spoliation claims. He was married three times, his third wife being Mary Buchanan, granddaughter of Thomas McKean, the signer. They were married at the White house, President John Quincy Adams being her nearest relative. Chancellor Sanford received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Columbia in 1823. He died at Flushing, N.Y., Oct. 17, 1838.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Gerardus Beekman Docharty, educator, was born in Flushing, L.I, N.Y.. June 18, 1804; son of James Docharty. He received his education under the instruction of his father who was a graduate of Trinity college, Dublin. He was assistant professor of mathematics in St. Paul's college, Flushing, 1823-30; principal of Oyster Bay (L.I.) academy, 1830-96; principal of Union Hall academy, Jamaica, L.I., 1836-38; principal of Hempstead academy, 1838-43, and proprietor of St. Thomas's Hall, Flushing, 1843-48. In 1848 he accepted the chair of mathematics in the College of the city of New York (Free academy) and remained in that position until 1881, when he retired to private life. He published a complete set of mathematical textbooks, from arithmetic to differential and integral calculus. He died in Hempstead, N.Y., March 8, 1889.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Gurney, soldier, was born in Flushing, N.Y., Aug. 21, 1821. He was a New York merchant and a lieutenant in the 7th regiment, N.Y.S.M., and in 1861 went with that organization to the defence of the capitol at Washington. In July, 1861, he was made a captain in the 65th regiment, New York chasseurs, and engaged with that regiment in the early campaign in Virginia. In 1862 he was made assistant inspector-general on the staff of Governor Morgan of New York, and in July, 1862, recruited the 127th New York volunteers and was commissioned its colonel. He was assigned to the 23d army corps and in October, 1862, was made commander of the 2d brigade of General Abercrombie's division in the defence of Washington. In 1864 with his brigade he joined the army under Gillmore, operating against Charleston, S.C. He was wounded in an engagement at Devoe's Neck, S.C.; was made commander of the post of Charleston and was promoted brigadier-general for gallantry in action. He was mustered out of the volunteer service in July, 1865, and established himself in business in Charleston, S.C. He was treasurer of Charleston county, 1870-76; was a presidential elector, 1873, and vice-president of the centennial commission, having been appointed by President Grant in 1875. He died in New York city, Feb. 3, 1879.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Prince, horticulturist, was born in Flushing, L.I., N.Y., Nov. 10, 1766; son of William and Ann (Thorne) Prince; grandson of Robert and Mary (Burgess) Prince, and a descendant of John Prince, who emigrated from England to America about 1670, and settled in Boston, Mass. William Prince attended schools at Jamaica and Flushing, and assisted his father, who was a horticulturist and proprietor of the first nursery established in America, known as the "Old American Nursery," started in 1725. In 1793 he bought eighty acres of adjacent land and established the Linn?an nurseries, which continued till 1870. He was married, Dec. 24, 1794, to Mary, daughter of Eliphalet and Mary (Valenton) Stratton. He introduced many varieties of fruits into the United States, sent many trees and plants from America to Europe and systematized the nomenclature of American fruits, including the Bartlett pear and Isabella grape. He was a corresponding member of the Linns?an society of Paris, the horticultural societies of London and Paris, and the Imperial Society of Georgefili at Florence. The London horticultural society named the "William Prince" apple in his honor. A meeting of the most prominent foreign and American societies met at his home in Flushing in 1823, when Gov. DeWill Clinton crowned the bust of Linn?us. He is the author of: A Treatise on Horticulture (1828), the first work of its kind published in the United States, and Treatise on the Vine (with his son, William R., 1830). He died in Flushing, L.I., N.Y., April 9, 1842.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor